RIP Andy Grove

I was saddened by the death of Andy Grove, the former Intel CEO who drove the growth of Silicon Valley.

Andy Grove’s “High Output Management” has been my go-to book on running teams and improving business processes. I have seen few books like it: it offers a clean, clear, distinctly common-sense engineering perspective on day-to-day issues that managers face. I have internalized multiple messages from this book, such as its approach to one-on-ones (their importance and structure) and its guidance on team sizes. This book stands in sharp contrast to many “Leadership BS” books: it offers practical no-nonsense advice and guidance, rather than noble-sounding but impractical tidbits.

I loved how Andy Grove talked about himself in that book, too: “I am an engineer by training and a manager of a high technology company by profession.” I wish I could run technology companies like he did. I wish I could write about it like he did, too. I am actively working in both these directions. Andy Grove was my role model; he will be missed.